Major Tony Rolt MC (merged)

Very sadly, I understand that Major Tony Rolt passed away this morning.

Pre-war ERA star, winner of the Military Cross for his role in the rearguard action around Calais in 1940, incorrigible escaper from German PoW camps, one of the masterminds behind the glider which the PoWs designed and built for an escape attempt from Colditz Castle, driver postwar of the former Bimotore Alfa Romeo, of Rob Walker's Delage-ERA and Connaughts, co-winner of Le Mans 1953 with Duncan Hamilton in the works Lightweight C-Type Jaguar, subsequently head of Harry Ferguson Research, developers of automotive four-wheel drive systems, constructor of the only 4WD car ever to win a Formula 1 race, also the last front-engined F1 car to win a contemporary F1 race....and so much more.

He had been (briefly) the oldest surviving member of the British Racing Drivers' Club. He was also the last surviving pre-war member. And the last surviving starter in the inaugural 'British Grand Prix'.

This is truly the end of an era. From an Irish perspective the last survivor from pre war days at Tallaght, The Leinster Trophy, and the Limerick races. Post war of course Dundrod and the Tourist Trophy. My late father knew an ex Colditz prisoner called Billy Stephens in Belfast who spoke of Tony Rolt from that time. Later Rolt was associated with Harry Ferguson and Rex McCandless from Belfast.
One funny story from the late Andrew Ferguson when STP sponsored the Indianapolis Ferguson device was the horror of considering Rolt wearing Granatelli's promotional garb rather than a shirt and tie.
SS

Our driver( Charlie Waterman) at Taylor & Crawley was Maj. Rolts batman and was full of respect for him both as a bloke and as his superior officer . Sad day indeed although the family name lives on in motor racing.

I have one memory of Tony Rolt. I was working as a Track Marshall at Crystal Palace and Tony was racing Rob Walker's 2 litre Connaught, but rolled it on the back of the circuit somewhere. During the event I had to see the club doctor because I had a large rash on the back of my hand from ripping the rear light cables off when we were getting a wrecked car ready for the tow truck the day before. I asked how Tony was because I hadn't heard anything and he said the Tony was OK, and was apologising for causing so much trouble!

Originally posted by Richie Jenkins In one fell swoop, my reasonably good mood today was shattered. If I ever achieve in life, just a small iota of what Major Rolt did in his life, I'll be a very happy man.

I'm not going to be sad. I'm going to be thankful that someone so inspiring who went through so much could live to a ripe old age. Let's celebrate his achievements, that rank so far in advance of those of 99.9% of humankind as to ensure his name will live on.

And remember that it was a different age then. The war to save the world. Hundreds of thousands giving their all in the name of freedom. And after that motor racing with no safety belts, no roll-over cages, no (God preserve us) tyre warmers. Without the compensation of £million salaries.

Interestingly, the Major was evidently most proud of the achievements of his Ferguson Research and FF Developments companies post-war, and regarded them as being infinitely more significant than any of his racing exploits or wartime PoW experiences. Significantly he was not only awarded the Military Cross for personal deeds during the Calais rearguard action - I believe awarded for his leadership and in part for personally driving a truck full of wounded personnel to relative safety while under direct fire - but he was also awarded a second MC, a bar to the original, for the seven escape attempts he so boldly made from successive prisoner of war camps. He was a private person, very averse to personal publicity. He apparently never attended any of the Colditz PoW reunions, nor did he ever revisit the Castle itself.

He said "Escaping was not a game. Nor was it fun. It was a duty". And he did not want to recall it. Just imagine, five years as a PoW, seven attempts to escape, each one ending in recapture, each one ending in rigorous punishment and long spells in solitary confinement... Dark memories, no doubt...

FURTHERMORE - he absolutely refuted the legend that he and Duncan Hamilton "got drunk", "had a skinfull", "got absolutely bladdered" (J. Clarkson ) on the eve of the 1953 Le Mans 24-Hours when led to believe they had been excluded from the race, only to be told next morning they were in fact racing, so they did, and won. THIS FAMILIAR STORY IS ABSOLUTELY UNTRUE (A.P.R.Rolt as related to me this morning by his son, Stuart).

I'm not sure if this is the right time or place to raise a fairly trivial question, but I have often wondered if there is a family link between Tony and Tom (LTC) Rolt who was in at the beginnings of the VSCC, champion of the inland waterways, author, railway rescuer etc.

Originally posted by Doug Nye Interestingly, the Major was evidently most proud of the achievements of his Ferguson Research and FF Developments companies post-war, and regarded them as being infinitely more significant than any of his racing exploits or wartime PoW experiences.

That says a lot about the man, doesn't it? He was proudest of achievements that improved the lot of people's lives, rather than his own personal triumphs that were for his own benefit.

I was profoundly saddened to hear of Tony's passing. Not because he was such a very good driver, nor because of his admirable war record, but because he was such an extremely nice person in every way. As a "new boy" in the Jaguar team he gave me encouragement and support, and a load of kindliness too.

He could be the life and soul of the party, but his serious side was ever-present when it mattered, and I think Bill Lyons and Lofty England valued him enormously not simply for his skill, but for his calm quiet wisdom.

Kind of O/T, but I was just searching for details of Major Rolt's MC (it was gazetted on September 18th 1945, with bar on October 30th 1945). As Doug pointed out his first MC was for the defence of Calais and the second for services rendered while a PoW.

Among the other recipients of the MC for the Calais action was one Second Lieutenant John Sidney Durlacher of the Royal Regiment of Artillery. Was this Jack Durlacher, later a well-known racing sponsor?

One can only hope that Major Rolt's passing gets the kind of media coverage it deserves. I do not believe it would be possible to over-emphasise how important it is to society that figures such as Major Rolt are celebrated for the paragons of integrity that they are.

Seven attempts! That says a lot about his determination. Considering the amount of punishment he must've received, that means he must have devoted pretty much every minute spent as a POW to planning an escape. An amazing individual

I look forward to his biography

Justin

BTW - I too was spitting blood at the TV when I saw the report about Hamilton and Le Mans.... The less said the better... As I remarked in another thread, that kind of vacuous, pernicious tabloid TV has no place on a publicly-funded network IMO.

Originally posted by Doug Nye FURTHERMORE - he absolutely refuted the legend that he and Duncan Hamilton "got drunk", "had a skinfull", "got absolutely bladdered" (J. Clarkson ) on the eve of the 1953 Le Mans 24-Hours when led to believe they had been excluded from the race, only to be told next morning they were in fact racing, so they did, and won. THIS FAMILIAR STORY IS ABSOLUTELY UNTRUE (A.P.R.Rolt as related to me this morning by his son, Stuart).

Doug, I mentioned this in post seven, and Ian Stewart has already refuted this a number of years back. It depends on how lazy journalists are with reporting his death over the next few days, but I suppose it'll show up the bad 'uns if they do resort to myth.

Here, find the first of the national obituaries for him - he's the lead obituary in the Times

It's still Paul Pietsch, who is also the only surviving pre-War GP driver.

Tony Rolt was the last surviving driver from the first World Championship GP. Robert Manzon and Froilan Gonzales - still with us at the time of writing - were in the field at Monaco a week later. I'm sure Richie will correct me if I'm wrong, but I think only Manzon, Gonzales and Pietsch (who raced in Italy) survive from the 1950 Championship races (excluding Indianapolis).

Originally posted by Vitesse2 It's still Paul Pietsch, who is also the only surviving pre-War GP driver.

Tony Rolt was the last surviving driver from the first World Championship GP. Robert Manzon and Froilan Gonzales - still with us at the time of writing - were in the field at Monaco a week later. I'm sure Richie will correct me if I'm wrong, but I think only Manzon, Gonzales and Pietsch (who raced in Italy) survive from the 1950 Championship races (excluding Indianapolis).

Including Indianapolis, the only surviving driver from 1950 is Jim Rathmann (and since that seems to come up, 9 drivers from the 33 starters in that 1950 '500' died in racing accidents).

Danny Kladis is the oldest surviving Indianapolis 500 starter, having raced in the 1946 event.

There are no pre-WWII surviving '500' drivers. I believe George Connor was the last pre-war survivor at the time of his passing in 2001.

In the last couple of years, I've written to some of the heroes of this bygone era, asking for autographs. Last summer, I wrote to Major Rolt. I received his autograph, apparently written by a shaky hand. It will be treasured.

It's only from 1950 onwards that the distinction, 'World Championship GP' can be drawn, so the AGP of 1939 is a Grand Prix by any estimation.

That the winner did such a good job, that the circuit was so fantastic and that he's still alive are icing on the cake. Looking forward to October and seeing him again!

Coincidentally, the other night I was talking to an old bloke I know. I knew he was in his nineties, but I didn't realise he was only 91. "I'll be 92 in June," He said. Naturally enough I asked him what date in June. "On the 14th," he replied with his weak Scottish accent.

One answer to clear up, another to ask Doug (or anyone else for that matter)

1950 does indeed see three surviving drivers, as Vitesse said above - Manzon, Gonzalez & Pietsch.

Rolt was far from being the oldest driver - Fitch, Frere, Karch & Lecaze, to name just four off the top of my head, are older.

George Connor was not the last pre-war surviving '500 driver, that was Overton Snell, who died in 2004, aged 97. Connor was the last starter, however.

But Doug mentioned in the first post that APRR was the oldest member of the BRDC. Does that therefore mean that Dick Gibson, who was born in April 1918 (a few months older than Rolt) is no longer with us?? Or is Gibson still alive, but not a member of the BRDC??

An avid reader of Touch Wood I am afraid I had fallen for at least there being some truth in the Le Mans story. Oh dear - another golden myth demolished

I quite like the Lofty England quote from the Telly's obit:

'According to his extrovert co-driver, Duncan Hamilton, on the night before the event the two men drowned their sorrows after being excluded for a practice infringement; to their consternation (given their powerful hangovers) they were reinstated next morning - yet they emerged victorious. This often-repeated fairytale deeply upset Rolt; and Jaguar's formidable team manager, "Lofty" England, insisted: "Of course I would never have let them race under the influence. I had enough trouble when they were sober!" '

BTW - while my hard copy Daily Telegraph obit has a picture, properly captioned, of Rolt and Hamilton together with the '54 D-type, the online Telegraph obit (http://www.telegraph...2/08/db0801.xml) has a picture of Rolt in the 1953 Le Mans winning Connaught A-type!